Railway track switch connecting mechanism



June 10, 1941. H. L BONE 2,245,427

RAILWAY TRACK SWITCH CONNECTING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 24, 19:59

7 & IVMIENTOR r Herbem Lfione.

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H15 ATTORNEY Patented JuneIO, 1941 urrso GFFECE RAILWAY TRACK SWITCH CONNECTING MECHANISM Application November 24, 1939, Serial No. 305,861

3 Claims.

My invention relates to railway track switch connecting mechanisms of the type employed to connect a switch circuit controller connecting rod to a switch point and to a switch circuit controller.

Railway switch circuit controllers are employed in the railway signaling art to detect and register movements of switch points with respect to the associated track rails. To insure safe and reliable operation of trains over a switch, the connections between a switch point and its associated circuit controller must be such that relatively small movements of the point are detected, since otherwise a switch point might creep open without causing the signal controlling traffic overv the switch to assume a restrictive indication. To protect against permitting movements of the points to go unregistered due to lost motion in the connecting parts, it has been the practice to utilize ball-and-socket connections provided with resilient means capable of taking up automatically any lost motion between the connecting parts. In the usual form of such connecting mechanisms, the resilient means employed is required not only to take up lost motion, but also to transmit thrust during movement of the connecting members in at least one direction. As a consequence, the resilient means must be designed to accommodate the increased pressures caused by the thrust of the connecting members, and, being subject to frequent stresses of relatively great proportions, is exposed to the danger of breaking because of undue flexing. In addition, there is also the danger of the resilient means yielding to the thrust and not transmitting the force, thereby permitting a movement of the switch point to go unregistered.

In View of the foregoing and other important considerations, it is an object of my invention to provide novel and improved connecting mechanisms capable of absorbing lost motion automatically and in which thrust forces are transmitted directly from one member to the other and are not transmitted through the resilient meansf Another object of my invention is the provision of connecting mechanisms in which the parts subject to wear are enclosed in such manner as to permit pressure lubrication.

A further object of my invention is the provision of novel and improved connecting mechanisms of the ball-and-sooket type.

The above-mentioned and other important objects which will become apparent from the ic-l lowing description of my invention, are attained in accordance with my invention by the provision of connecting mechanisms of the ball-and-socket type adapted to operatively connect two substantially perpendicularly arranged movable members operaitng substantially in a plane disposed at right angles to the axis of one of the members. In such connecting mechanisms resilient means are employed and are arranged in axial alignment with the said one member and thus out of the plane of movement of the said members, for urging bearing members or other elements of the connecting mechanism into contact engagement with the two movable members whereby lost motion between the two movable members is avoided but the transmission of forces from either memher to the other is directly effected without being required to be transmitted through the resilient means. The connecting mechanisms are con structed of elements arranged and designed so as to enable the connectors to be utilized to connect one member to either side of the other member, thereby providing a universal connection, and further are arranged so that such connection may be effected without requiring either of the two members to be disconnected from the switch circuit controller connecting rod and switch point or controller.

I shall describe a preferred form of a connecting mechanism embodying my invention, and shall then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, the figure is a fragmentary top plan view, partially sectional, of

a railway track switch, its supporting tie, a switch circuit controller, and connecting mechanism between the circuit controller and track switch embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character I5 designates an ordinary railway track tie which supports a track rail l6. Operating in conjunction with track rail i5 is a switch point i l which has secured thereto in any suitable man ner a switch lug l8. Lug I8 is provided at its free end with a substantially spherical shaped end portion or head l9.

Track tie l 5 also supports a switch circuit controller 20 of the usual and well-known construction. Circuit controller 20 is provided with a protruding operating shaft 2| to which is fastened an operating crank arm 22. A bolt 23 is connected in any suitable manner, as by a nut 24, to the crank arm, and the bolt is provided at its free end with a substantially spherical shaped end portion or head 25. The head 25 of bolt 23 is connected in any suitable manner, as by a connecting mechanism capable of taking up lost motion, to a connecting rod 26 which in turn is connected at its right-hand end, as viewed in the drawing, by a connecting mechanism of novel construction to switch lug l8. As shown, connecting rod 26 is arranged with its longitudinal axis disposed substantially at right angles to both lug l8 and bolt 23, and the rod therefore is adapted to operate in response to a movement of switch point ll in a plane defined by the longitudinal axis of rod 26 and the centers of heads l9 and 25, or at right angles to the longitudinal axes of lug l8 and bolt 23.

The rod is provided adjacent rail l6 with an enlarged section, not shown but lying in a plane at right angles to the section shown in the drawing, formed with a laterally extending cylindrical opening 27 substantially larger than the diameter of head l9, and with two laterally extending cylindrical holes 28 and 29. Head I9 is disposed in opening 21, and is engaged by two bearing cups 3i! and 3i, the external dimension of each cup being substantially equal to the internal diameter of opening 21. The inner cup preferably is split so that it may be fitted around the shank of lug I8, and the cup is provided with a bearing surface concavely shaped to engage the side of head I?! adjacent the switch point. Inner cup 30 is held in opening 2'! by means of an end plate 32 which when secured, in a manner to be pointed out presently, to rod 26 forms a ledge or a restraining surface engaged by the outer face of the cup. Plate 32 is provided with an aperture of suflicient diameter to permit the passage of head l9 therethrough, and also is provided with two drilled holes 33 and 3 disposed in alignment with holes 28 and 29, respectively, provided in the enlarged section of rod 26.

The other or outer cup 31 is disposed in the opening 2! of rod 26 and is provided with a concavely shaped bearing surface which is constantly urged by means of a compression spring 36 into intimate contact with the side of head I!) disposed remote from the switch point. Spring 36 is confined between the fiat rear face of cup 3! and the bottom or rear portion of a cupshaped cap member 31. The cap member 31 is provided with cylindrical holes 38 and 39 formed in its rear face in alignment with holes 28 and 29 of rod 26.

The end plate 32, rod 26, and cap 37 are secured together by means of two bolts 4| and 42 which extend through the aligned holes in each of the members named and which are engaged by nuts 43 and 44, respectively. These nuts are each provided, as shown, with a lock washer to prevent loosening under vibration. The cap member 31 also is provided with an opening in its rear face communicating with the enclosed interior of the cap, and into which opening is threaded a pressure grease fitting 45, by means of which the parts of the connecting mechanism may readily be lubricated.

It should be pointed out that cap member 3'! preferably is so designed and proportioned that when attached to rod 26, a suitable portion of such member projects inwardly to form a shoulder (not shown but lying in a plane at right angles to the section shown in the drawing) to limit the movement of outer cup 3| in such manner as to insure that cup 3| does not separate from and fall off of head l9 should the spring 35 break.

As is readily apparent from the foregoing description of the connecting mechanism embodying my invention, lost motion between the head l9 and rod 26 is absorbed automatically as it occurs by means of the resilient means incorporated into the mechanism. It is also apparent that the arrangement of the resilient means in the connection is such that forces are transmitted directly from lug I8 to rod 26 and hence are not required to be transmitted through the resilient means. t follows, therefore, that a connecting mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention provides an improved ball-and-socket connection which insures that all movements of the associated switch points will be transmitted to the connecting rod, and that the operating life of such socket is prolonged since the compression spring is not required to transmit thrust forces but is required only to force the cup members into engagement with head I9.

It is also apparent that my invention provides a universal connector which may be employed to effect either right-hand or left-hand connections Without requiring either connecting rod 26 or switch lug Hi to be disconnected from its associated apparatus. That is to say, the parts of the connector may be utilized as shown to connect rod 26 to lug l8 when the latter is inserted into the rod from the top (as viewed in the drawing), or the parts may be rearranged in an obvious manner to connect rod 25 to lug 13 when the latter is inserted from the bottom. Also, the connection may be effected without disconnecting either rod 26 or lug l8 from its associated apparatus, thereby enabling inspections and/or replacement of the connector to be effected with the minimum of labor and time, and Without interfering with the connection between lu-g l8 and the switch point, which connection must be carefully maintained and hence when once properly adjusted should not be interfered with.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of a connecting mechanism embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a ball and socket connection comprising a first member having a transverse openended cylindrical bore and a second member having a shank terminating in a substantially spherical shaped head, a first bearing member disposed in said bore on one side of said head and divided in order to enable it to be fitted around the shank of said second member, a second bearing member disposed in said bore on the other side of said head, said bearing mem bers each engaging the sidewall of said bore and having bearing surfaces shaped to conform with said head, a first external plate member having an aperture larger in diameter than said head but smaller than said bore, whereby to enable said head to be inserted through said aperture into said bore prior to securing said first plate member to said first member to partially enclose one end of said bore and provide a restraining ledge for said first bearing member, a second plate member removably secured to said first member for enclosing the other open end of said bore, and a compression spring disposed between said second plate member and said second bearing member for urging said bearing members into engagement with said head.

2. In a ball and socket connection including a first member having a transverse cylindrical bore and a second member having a shank terminating in substantially a spherical shaped head disposed in said bore, two bearing members one disposed in said bore on one side of said head and surrounding said shank and the other disposed in said bore on the opposite side of said head, said bearing members each engaging the sidewall of said bore and having bearing surfaces shaped to conform with said head, and means, including a compression spring, carried by said first member for urging said bearing members into constant engagement with said head whereby to take up lost motion as its occurs between said first and second members; the improvement herein described that permits the connection to be used with either right-hand or left-hand connections and that consists in making said bore in said first member open at each end, splitting said one bearing member in order that it may be assembled around the shank of said second member, enclosing one end of said bore bya removable plate having an aperture larger in diameter than said head but smaller in diameter than said bore, whereby said second member may be inserted through said aperture into said bore and said plate forms a restraining ledge for said split bearing member, and enclosing the other end of said bore by another removable plate which acts to constrain said compression spring between said other plate and said other bearing member.

3. In a ball and socket connection including a first member having a transverse cylindrical bore and a second member having a shank adapted to be secured to an operative member and said shank terminating in substantially a spherical shaped head disposed in said bore, two bearing members one disposed in said bore on one side of said head and surrounding said shank and the other disposed in said bore on the opposite side of said head, said bearing members each engaging the sidewall of said bore and having bearing surfaces shaped to conform with said head, and means, including a compression spring, [carried by said first member for urging said bearing members into engagement with said head whereby to take up lost motion as it occurs between said first and second members; the improvement herein described that permits the connection to be used with either right-hand or left-hand connectors and enables the connection to be assembled without disconnecting said second member from said operative member,

which improvement consists in providing said first member with said bore open at each end, splitting said one bearing member in order to enable it to be assembled around the shank of said second member, and utilizing two removable plates to enclose the two ends of said bore, one of said plates being provided with an aperture larger than said head but smaller in diameter than said bore, whereby said head may be inserted into said bore through said one plate which forms a restraining surface for said one bearing member and said other plate forms a restraining surface for compressing said spring between said other plate and said other bearing member.

HERBERT L. BONE. 

